With the driver shortage and driver turnover hitting the industry hard, improving your driver recruitment process is more important than ever. But how do you go from average (or worse) to outstanding?

Here are some practical driver recruitment tips from The Undercover Trucker, Kelly Anderson, provided in a webinar sponsored by Spireon.

First and foremost, remember: People commit to people

A key point is making your drivers feel important during the recruiting process. But how do you do that?

Focus on relationship-building right from the get-go

Speak to drivers with respect—don’t allow toxic baggage to influence new interactions

Listen to drivers when they tell you what their needs are—and speak to them

Implement a recruiting process that secures the best talent

Many recruiters are focused on eliminating the “wrong” candidates. There’s a better way—and it begins with developing a better recruiting conversation technique, says Anderson.

In practice, it looks a little something like this:

Driver: Hi, there. I was wondering if you’re hiring drivers?

Recruiter: We sure are. Who am I talking to?

Driver: Oh, this is John.

Recruiter: Hi, John. I’m Kathy; I appreciate the call. If you don’t mind my asking, how did you hear about us?

Driver: Oh, I saw a post in The Trucker.

Recruiter: Okay, great—thanks. Well, John, tell me a little bit about yourself. Where have you been working and what you been doing?

Driver: Well, I’ve been driving for the last 12 years. Right now, I’m working at ABC Trucking and it’s not working out.

Recruiter: Oh really? Well, how long have you been there? Why isn’t it working out?

Driver: Well, I’ve been there about a year and a half, but the miles have been low. Then, last Monday, I really needed to get home to my family and they didn’t get me there—that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Why is this approach different?

What did Kathy gain through this interaction? A number of things.

For starters, by simply using the driver’s name right from the very beginning, she’s demonstrated that she’s listening and that she cares about the driver. Sadly, this is a big differentiator.

Next, she’s just gained valuable insight into the advertising that’s generating leads—enabling the company to shift its resources to the ads that are converting most.

Finally, and most importantly, she identified John’s specific needs; he has a family he’s supporting, so he needs good pay and guaranteed home time. Given his family, medical benefits might also be a point of interest.

Kathy’s now equipped to demonstrate that her company is the perfect fit for this particular driver by telling him about the company’s benefits that meet his needs. Don’t list all the benefits that the company provides; focus on what this particular driver needs.